diff --git a/src/cli/system-cli.test.ts b/src/cli/system-cli.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3b0cfeb84
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cli/system-cli.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+import { Command } from "commander";
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { createCliRuntimeCapture } from "./test-runtime-capture.js";
+
+const callGatewayFromCli = vi.fn();
+const addGatewayClientOptions = vi.fn((command: Command) => command);
+
+const { runtimeLogs, runtimeErrors, defaultRuntime, resetRuntimeCapture } =
+  createCliRuntimeCapture();
+
+vi.mock("./gateway-rpc.js", () => ({
+  addGatewayClientOptions,
+  callGatewayFromCli,
+}));
+
+vi.mock("../runtime.js", () => ({
+  defaultRuntime,
+}));
+
+const { registerSystemCli } = await import("./system-cli.js");
+
+describe("system-cli", () => {
+  async function runCli(args: string[]) {
+    const program = new Command();
+    registerSystemCli(program);
+    try {
+      await program.parseAsync(args, { from: "user" });
+    } catch (err) {
+      if (!(err instanceof Error && err.message.startsWith("__exit__:"))) {
+        throw err;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    vi.clearAllMocks();
+    resetRuntimeCapture();
+    callGatewayFromCli.mockResolvedValue({ ok: true });
+  });
+
+  it("runs system event with default wake mode and text output", async () => {
+    await runCli(["system", "event", "--text", "  hello world  "]);
+
+    expect(callGatewayFromCli).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      "wake",
+      expect.objectContaining({ text: "  hello world  " }),
+      { mode: "next-heartbeat", text: "hello world" },
+      { expectFinal: false },
+    );
+    expect(runtimeLogs).toEqual(["ok"]);
+  });
+
+  it("prints JSON for event when --json is enabled", async () => {
+    callGatewayFromCli.mockResolvedValueOnce({ id: "wake-1" });
+
+    await runCli(["system", "event", "--text", "hello", "--json"]);
+
+    expect(runtimeLogs).toEqual([JSON.stringify({ id: "wake-1" }, null, 2)]);
+  });
+
+  it("handles invalid wake mode as runtime error", async () => {
+    await runCli(["system", "event", "--text", "hello", "--mode", "later"]);
+
+    expect(callGatewayFromCli).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(runtimeErrors[0]).toContain("--mode must be now or next-heartbeat");
+  });
+
+  it.each([
+    { args: ["system", "heartbeat", "last"], method: "last-heartbeat", params: undefined },
+    {
+      args: ["system", "heartbeat", "enable"],
+      method: "set-heartbeats",
+      params: { enabled: true },
+    },
+    {
+      args: ["system", "heartbeat", "disable"],
+      method: "set-heartbeats",
+      params: { enabled: false },
+    },
+    { args: ["system", "presence"], method: "system-presence", params: undefined },
+  ])("routes $args to gateway", async ({ args, method, params }) => {
+    callGatewayFromCli.mockResolvedValueOnce({ method });
+
+    await runCli(args);
+
+    expect(callGatewayFromCli).toHaveBeenCalledWith(method, expect.any(Object), params, {
+      expectFinal: false,
+    });
+    expect(runtimeLogs).toEqual([JSON.stringify({ method }, null, 2)]);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/cli/system-cli.ts b/src/cli/system-cli.ts
index 653d842b7..ae5b2033c 100644
--- a/src/cli/system-cli.ts
+++ b/src/cli/system-cli.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import type { GatewayRpcOpts } from "./gateway-rpc.js";
 import { addGatewayClientOptions, callGatewayFromCli } from "./gateway-rpc.js";
 
 type SystemEventOpts = GatewayRpcOpts & { text?: string; mode?: string; json?: boolean };
+type SystemGatewayOpts = GatewayRpcOpts & { json?: boolean };
 
 const normalizeWakeMode = (raw: unknown) => {
   const mode = typeof raw === "string" ? raw.trim() : "";
@@ -19,6 +20,24 @@ const normalizeWakeMode = (raw: unknown) => {
   throw new Error("--mode must be now or next-heartbeat");
 };
 
+async function runSystemGatewayCommand(
+  opts: SystemGatewayOpts,
+  action: () => Promise<unknown>,
+  successText?: string,
+): Promise<void> {
+  try {
+    const result = await action();
+    if (opts.json || successText === undefined) {
+      defaultRuntime.log(JSON.stringify(result, null, 2));
+    } else {
+      defaultRuntime.log(successText);
+    }
+  } catch (err) {
+    defaultRuntime.error(danger(String(err)));
+    defaultRuntime.exit(1);
+  }
+}
+
 export function registerSystemCli(program: Command) {
   const system = program
     .command("system")
@@ -37,22 +56,18 @@ export function registerSystemCli(program: Command) {
       .option("--mode <mode>", "Wake mode (now|next-heartbeat)", "next-heartbeat")
       .option("--json", "Output JSON", false),
   ).action(async (opts: SystemEventOpts) => {
-    try {
-      const text = typeof opts.text === "string" ? opts.text.trim() : "";
-      if (!text) {
-        throw new Error("--text is required");
-      }
-      const mode = normalizeWakeMode(opts.mode);
-      const result = await callGatewayFromCli("wake", opts, { mode, text }, { expectFinal: false });
-      if (opts.json) {
-        defaultRuntime.log(JSON.stringify(result, null, 2));
-      } else {
-        defaultRuntime.log("ok");
-      }
-    } catch (err) {
-      defaultRuntime.error(danger(String(err)));
-      defaultRuntime.exit(1);
-    }
+    await runSystemGatewayCommand(
+      opts,
+      async () => {
+        const text = typeof opts.text === "string" ? opts.text.trim() : "";
+        if (!text) {
+          throw new Error("--text is required");
+        }
+        const mode = normalizeWakeMode(opts.mode);
+        return await callGatewayFromCli("wake", opts, { mode, text }, { expectFinal: false });
+      },
+      "ok",
+    );
   });
 
   const heartbeat = system.command("heartbeat").description("Heartbeat controls");
@@ -62,16 +77,12 @@ export function registerSystemCli(program: Command) {
       .command("last")
       .description("Show the last heartbeat event")
       .option("--json", "Output JSON", false),
-  ).action(async (opts: GatewayRpcOpts & { json?: boolean }) => {
-    try {
-      const result = await callGatewayFromCli("last-heartbeat", opts, undefined, {
+  ).action(async (opts: SystemGatewayOpts) => {
+    await runSystemGatewayCommand(opts, async () => {
+      return await callGatewayFromCli("last-heartbeat", opts, undefined, {
         expectFinal: false,
       });
-      defaultRuntime.log(JSON.stringify(result, null, 2));
-    } catch (err) {
-      defaultRuntime.error(danger(String(err)));
-      defaultRuntime.exit(1);
-    }
+    });
   });
 
   addGatewayClientOptions(
@@ -79,19 +90,15 @@ export function registerSystemCli(program: Command) {
       .command("enable")
       .description("Enable heartbeats")
       .option("--json", "Output JSON", false),
-  ).action(async (opts: GatewayRpcOpts & { json?: boolean }) => {
-    try {
-      const result = await callGatewayFromCli(
+  ).action(async (opts: SystemGatewayOpts) => {
+    await runSystemGatewayCommand(opts, async () => {
+      return await callGatewayFromCli(
         "set-heartbeats",
         opts,
         { enabled: true },
         { expectFinal: false },
       );
-      defaultRuntime.log(JSON.stringify(result, null, 2));
-    } catch (err) {
-      defaultRuntime.error(danger(String(err)));
-      defaultRuntime.exit(1);
-    }
+    });
   });
 
   addGatewayClientOptions(
@@ -99,19 +106,15 @@ export function registerSystemCli(program: Command) {
       .command("disable")
       .description("Disable heartbeats")
       .option("--json", "Output JSON", false),
-  ).action(async (opts: GatewayRpcOpts & { json?: boolean }) => {
-    try {
-      const result = await callGatewayFromCli(
+  ).action(async (opts: SystemGatewayOpts) => {
+    await runSystemGatewayCommand(opts, async () => {
+      return await callGatewayFromCli(
         "set-heartbeats",
         opts,
         { enabled: false },
         { expectFinal: false },
       );
-      defaultRuntime.log(JSON.stringify(result, null, 2));
-    } catch (err) {
-      defaultRuntime.error(danger(String(err)));
-      defaultRuntime.exit(1);
-    }
+    });
   });
 
   addGatewayClientOptions(
@@ -119,15 +122,11 @@ export function registerSystemCli(program: Command) {
       .command("presence")
       .description("List system presence entries")
       .option("--json", "Output JSON", false),
-  ).action(async (opts: GatewayRpcOpts & { json?: boolean }) => {
-    try {
-      const result = await callGatewayFromCli("system-presence", opts, undefined, {
+  ).action(async (opts: SystemGatewayOpts) => {
+    await runSystemGatewayCommand(opts, async () => {
+      return await callGatewayFromCli("system-presence", opts, undefined, {
         expectFinal: false,
       });
-      defaultRuntime.log(JSON.stringify(result, null, 2));
-    } catch (err) {
-      defaultRuntime.error(danger(String(err)));
-      defaultRuntime.exit(1);
-    }
+    });
   });
 }